The Woods of Bielefeld
by ElisiansBane
Summary: At a party held at the Bielefeld mansion, Wolfram tells Yuuri the story of his ancestor Rufus and his tragic fate.


The Woods of Bielefeld

Summary: At a party held at the Bielefeld mansion, Wolfram tells Yuuri the story of his ancestor Rufus and his tragic fate.

This is a short one-shot I thought up. Please enjoy!

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Yuuri walked somewhat clumsily onto the balcony adjacent to the large ballroom. He needed some air after dancing, drinking, and eating decadent foods for the past two hours.

While he could say he genuinely liked dancing now that he had learned the complex court dances and accompanying etiquette of the Makokuan courts, Yuuri still needed a break after non-stop dancing and schmoozing.

He glanced back over his shoulder at the partiers, who continued to talk loudly over the upbeat music that echoed into the night. Yuuri noted that this crowd was slightly more boisterous than usual. Maybe it had to do with the majority of them being Bielefelds.

Yuuri and his cohort had arrived a few days ago to celebrate the anniversary of some Bielefeld ancestor who lived during the time of Shinou. It had something to do with a treaty and an arranged marriage. Yuuri's slightly buzzed mind couldn't recall the details. All he could remember was that it was a beloved tradition among the huge Bielefeld family and an important part of their familial history. It was a week-long celebration with increasingly extravagant parties held every night at the Bielefeld mansion.

Yuuri had to hand it to Waltorana. The man could throw a party. He wondered how the lord would top tonight's fire-dance performance by Wolfram.

The performance had been a display of the prowess and strength of the Bielefeld's young prodigy. Wolfram performed tricks and visual illusions caused by the varying types of fire he used to create lions, dragons, and a rainbow of colored flames that spread across the stage like liquid. Yuuri was sure he didn't close his mouth once as he watched Wolfram expertly twist and bend the ribbons of fire like it was no effort at all. Yuuri knew Wolfram to be a talented fire user, but he had never actually seen the extent of his fiancé's skills until then. He had to say he was quite impressed.

Speaking of his fiancé, Yuuri hadn't seen Wolfram since the performance. He found it strange as Wolfram didn't even show up for the opening dance. Yuuri had to substitute Greta for his partner as to pick anyone else would have caused a scandal. Any other time, Wolfram would have grabbed Yuuri by the hand and dragged him onto the dance floor.

Yuuri made it to the edge of the balcony and leaned against the railing. The cool summer breeze felt wonderful against his face as he breathed in the fresh, earthiness of the surrounding woods. The Bielefeld mansion was situated in the middle of a large forest atop a big hill that overlooked the rest of the territory. Beyond the black line of the trees, Yuuri could imagine the farms and villages that dotted the hills that encircled the compound. Everything looked so dark and quiet compared to the bright lights and jovial noise of the party behind him.

Yuuri's mind drifted back to his fiancé. Now that he thought about it, Wolfram had been acting distant ever since they arrived to his family lands. The normally assertive fire demon was reserved and distant from the time of their arrival. Wolfram barely spoke to anyone and his mind seemed to be a thousand miles away. Yuuri often caught Wolfram looking out into the distance, toward the woods at a specific point on the horizon that only he could see. Yuuri had tried to look where he saw Wolfram looking, but he could only see the woods and nothing else. Maybe there was a place that Wolfram knew of. Yuuri would have to make him take him there. Perhaps they could go tomorrow after breakfast. After all, it had been a while since they had spent any private time together.

Yuuri couldn't help but blush. His relationship with Wolfram had progressed from platonic to romantic, and most recently, to sexual over the past few months. Since the fiasco with Seisakoku and Queen Alazon, Yuuri and Wolfram had grown much closer. Yuuri found himself inexplicably drawn to the now mature and dedicated Wolfram. The spoiled, hot-headed ex-prince had been replaced by a passionate, feisty lord whose touch and kisses left Yuuri tingling and wanting more.

Yuuri wondered if he might be able to find Wolfram and they could retire early. He wanted to taste his fiancés mouth again – just for a bit….

A sound to his left caught Yuuri's attention. On the opposite side of the huge balcony, just a dim outline against the night sky save for the blond hair, stood Wolfram. Once again staring out at the woods.

Yuuri tried to guess how long Wolfram had been standing there. He was sure the balcony was empty when he came from the ballroom. Maybe Wolfram just got there and that was why he noticed him. The future prince consort was dressed impeccably in his formal attire. It was the gold-embroidered uniform with the Bielefeld insignia stitched onto the breast that he wore to Yuuri's sixteenth birthday celebration. Yuuri had to admit, it was his favorite of Wolfram's many uniforms. It made him look like a prince from a fairytale book.

Wolfram had yet to notice Yuuri's presence. He was transfixed onto that same spot in the woods. Yuuri was suddenly determined to figure out why he was so obsessed with the woods.

Yuuri carefully approached Wolfram until he was only an arm's length away. He started to speak, but paused when he heard that sound again and recognized it as a sniffle.

"Wolf?"

Wolfram was definitely in his own world as he startled from Yuuri's worried call. "Yuuri? What are you doing here?"

Yuuri watched Wolfram quickly rub his eyes to hide the fact that he had been crying. Wolfram tried to compose himself and faced the king with feigned calm.

"I came out to get some air," Yuuri eyed Wolfram cautiously, not understanding what could have made the usually tough-skinned man emotional. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Wolfram said dismissively, returning to stare at the darkened woods.

Yuuri could feel the walls go up between them. Wolfram was never comfortable with sharing his feelings, even when they became closer. The demon was so paranoid of appearing weak that he refused to share his deepest thoughts with anyone. It worried Yuuri. It bothered him that his fiancé still didn't trust him enough to talk about his feelings.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Yuuri dared to move a little closer. Wolfram didn't move, but he didn't look at him either.

"You wouldn't understand…" Wolfram muttered bitterly.

"Let me try," Yuuri, in an attempt to show affection, reached up to gently tuck a piece of hair behind Wolfram's ear and then let his fingers trail down Wolfram's chin. It was a technique his mother had used thousands of times when he saw her trying to calm his stressed-out father. Maybe it would work for him.

Wolfram stiffened at the touch, but then relaxed into Yuuri's hand. The king smiled and tried to nudge Wolfram to make the other man face him. "Tell me what's wrong, Wolfram. Did something happen?"

Wolfram didn't answer. He pinned Yuuri on the spot with an intensity in his eyes that made Yuuri freeze. Wolfram's eyes were stormy and glinting in the dim lights from the party. They were sharp and yet seemed to be far away. They were full of an emotion Yuuri couldn't quite guess, and yet they gave away nothing that would help him understand his enigmatic lover. Wolfram's eyes were angry, accusing, and bitter – and yet, they begged him. For what, he didn't know.

Yuuri was released from Wolfram's intense gaze when the other man looked away with a heavy sigh at the trees.

Yuuri glanced at those damned trees. "What's got you so hooked on staring at the trees?"

Wolfram tilted his head to the side, seemingly contemplating if he should answer the question. After a long pause, Wolfram spoke in a slow and deliberate manner.

"Behind those trees," he nodded in the woods' direction. "There is a small cave. Really, it's a hole dug out of a hill."

"What's in the cave-hole-thing?" Yuuri asked when Wolfram went silent.

Rather than answer, Wolfram gave his own question. "Have you heard the story of Rufus von Bielefeld?"

What a weird question. But Yuuri decided to humor his weird fiancé. "He's your ancestor right? Your great-grandfather's great-grandfather who fought alongside Shinou during the War of Soushou? He was one of the Original Keys to the Four Boxes and….he was supposedly a consort to Shinou." Yuuri silently congratulated himself for remembering that.

"Yes," Wolfram acceded. "But there is much more to him than that."

"Really?" Yuuri was genuinely curious now. "Gunter admitted that not much is known about him other than what I just told you. He was sort of a mysterious figure, wasn't he?"

Wolfram gave Yuuri a sharp look. "No….. _plenty_ was known about him. It's just that the Bielefeld historians have tried their damnedest to rewrite his past to make the Bielefeld legacy look better. They only wanted to save face."

Yuuri was taken aback by Wolfram's sudden irritation. "What do you mean?"

Wolfram sighed. "You're right. He fought alongside Shinou, he was one of the Keys, and he was Shinou's consort. But can you think of anything else about him? Like how he died?"

Yuuri blinked. "Um….no….I just assumed he died of old age eventually…."

Wolfram scoffed. "He died shortly after he married Shinou. His _older brother_ founded the Bielefeld aristocrats. He died in these very woods and was buried in the cave there."

Yuuri was thoroughly confused. Something was wrong with Wolfram. Though not a history buff in the slightest, Yuuri paid attention enough in Gunter's lessons to know that Rufus married Shinou after the War and supposedly went on to found the Bielefeld aristocracy. There was no mention of any siblings. Wolfram's tale didn't make sense.

"He was murdered…."

Yuuri stared at his fiancé. "Murdered?"

The summer breeze suddenly felt cold as Wolfram continued to stare out into the night.

"The Bielefeld tribe was considered one of the more radical and violent tribes," Wolframs said after a long pause. "The other clans distanced themselves from them. It came as a shock when Shinou was able to convince them to join his campaign against the Originators. He did so by promising to marry the youngest son of the tribe's leader, Rufus."

Wolfram took a deep breath before continuing in a quiet, almost reverent tone. "Rufus was the youngest of twelve children. He was the only child of one of the tribe leader's concubines. He was worthless in the eyes of his clan. Little more than a bastard. It came as a shock that Shinou would choose the lowest ranking clan member for his consort to rule the Demon Kingdom alongside him."

Yuuri listened in rapt attention. He struggled to figure out why Wolfram was telling him this. It certainly didn't seem like it was for curiosity's sake. Not with the way Wolfram's eyes stared into some unknown world beyond the young king's comprehension.

"But Rufus was delighted," Wolfram continued. "He had fought as a soldier with Shinou and had come to love him above anyone else. He felt like he mattered. He would finally mean something to his spiteful relatives."

Wolfram became sad and looked down, deep in thought. "Up until that point, Rufus was treated like a punching bag by his relatives. He was often beaten and harassed by his older brothers. They mocked him because he was so feminine in his appearance and was deemed more suited for life as a concubine and not a soldier."

"That's…really sad," Yuuri said quietly. "Did they treat him better when he married Shinou?"

Wolfram shook his head no. "They told him that the only reason Shinou married him was because of his beauty and because Shinou wanted to secure the loyalty of the tribe. He was merely a pawn."

Wolfram gave a slight grimace, suppressing a sudden wave of emotion as he told the tale. "Rufus refused to believe them. But after he became consort, he noticed that Shinou paid less and less attention to him. He thought that once they married, Shinou would stop his philandering ways and have eyes only for him. But Shinou kept taking on more and more concubines from human and demon tribes. And Rufus' brothers continued to mock him. Rufus and Shinou fought all the time because Rufus demanded he stop cheating on him. But it was useless."

A sudden suspicion came upon Yuuri. Rufus' story seemed oddly familiar to how his relationship with Wolfram had been in its early days. Wolfram was known mostly for his beauty, not his combat skills. He was often belittled or patronized by his older brothers. People rarely took him seriously because they thought he shared in his mother's promiscuous ways. Rumors floated around that Wolfram was nothing more than a pawn to win Yuuri's favors for the Bielefeld family. He and Wolfram had dozens of fights due to the other man's accusations of infidelity. Their wedding was coming up soon. Wolfram must have made up a story about his ancestor to explain his lingering insecurities and paranoia about their own relationship!

That suddenly made sense and it explained the plot holes in Wolfram's explanation of Rufus not being the founder of his family legacy. Yuuri decided to offer comfort to the beautiful man, he moved behind him to wrap his arms around Wolfram in a reverse hug. Much to his relief, Wolfram sighed and relaxed into Yuuri's embrace, leaning his head against Yuuri's shoulder while the king nuzzled his hair.

"That's certainly sucks," Yuuri muttered into Wolfram's hair and decided to play along. "Are you sure Shinou didn't care at all for Rufus? Maybe Rufus was still hurt from the way his family treated him so he thought Shinou was just as bad. Maybe Shinou wasn't cheating on him at all?"

Wolfram went stiff and Yuuri feared he would pull away, but to his surprise, Wolfram didn't but he no longer leaned against Yuuri. Yuuri tried to give him a reassuring hug, but Wolfram didn't relax back into the embrace.

"Don't be naïve, wimp," Wolfram shot Yuuri a glare over his shoulder. "Shinou didn't bother to hide his infidelity. He paraded it in front of Rufus, who could do nothing but suffer the humiliation! It became so awful that Rufus fled to his family lands to escape the mockery and heartache. He couldn't bare to show his face in public."

Wolfram's voice shook a little when he spoke the last part. Yuuri was perplexed. He never flirted with other people in front of Wolfram – or at least, he never deliberately did it. Sure, in his early years, he didn't quite grasp the social norms of the court, which meant that he often mistook flirtation for friendliness. But he fixed that a long time ago. Wolfram wasn't making sense. Yuuri decided to remain quiet and see where the demon went with his story.

His patience paid off and Wolfram continued. "One day though, Rufus went out into the woods and he came across an injured half-breed with black hair and eyes. Double black half-breeds were hunted to extinction back then because they were considered unclean and abominations to the demons and the humans used their blood and bodies for witchcraft and medicine. The Bielefeld's were the worst offenders. They actively hunted half-breeds to ensure the purity of the demon bloodline. The half-breed Rufus found was the last survivor of his family and had crawled into the cave for shelter."

Yuuri inwardly cringed. Yes, he knew of the widespread genocide of any half-breeds in the early centuries of Shin Makoku's history. Depending on the culture and the time period, half-breeds were either considered impure and a threat to the natural order, bad omens that needed to be destroyed, material for black magic and witchcraft, or enslaved by both human and demon rulers. Even now there were countries that still bred and sold half-breeds for slavery and some truly barbaric sub-groups ritually ate the flesh of half-breeds for their supposed magical properties. It didn't surprise him at all that half-breeds were treated even worse in the past.

Wolfram's voice brought him back to attention. "Rufus felt pity for the half-breed and secretly nursed him back to health in that little hole in the woods." Wolfram smiled sadly. "The half-breed's name was Yuli."

Yuli? As in " _Juli"_? Yuuri was aware that "Yuli" was a once popular name in the Makokuan language. That was how he got his own name in the first place. He was born in the month of July, and the Makokuan word for July was "Juli", sometimes spelled as "yuli" in the old tongue, which was pronounced "Yuuri" in Yuuri's native language.

But Wolfram was speaking again. "Rufus and Yuli found comfort in each other. Rufus helped Yuli grieve for his family and Yuli comforted Rufus' heartache over Shinou's betrayal. It wasn't long before their mutual comfort became love. Rufus and Yuli would sneak away as often as they could to meet in that little cave in the woods. They made it their sanctuary from the pains of life. There, they were finally free of the cruelties life had dealt them. It was a paradise where they could find love and pleasure in each other. Finally, they could forget their troubles and just enjoy being together."

Yuuri shifted away to look at Wolfram. Okay, this was getting definitely strange. He was certain that Shinou and Rufus were stand ins for how Wolfram saw the issues of their relationship so why was he throwing in some clearly made-up character with his name?

"What happened?" Yuuri dared to ask.

Wolfram thought a moment before answering. His voice was bitter and resigned. "Rufus' brothers noticed his multiple absences. They followed him one day and caught them in the act. They were furious. They dragged him and Yuli from their makeshift home. They beat them both. They were especially harsh with Yuli because they assumed that he had bewitched Rufus. They took them to the tribe leader, who immediately disowned Rufus and called him a dishonor and a shame to the Bielefeld family. When Shinou found out, he was so disgusted that he annulled their marriage and sent Rufus back to live with his tribe."

"That's not fair!" Yuuri interjected. "If Shinou was running around on Rufus then why did he have the right to be angry? What he did was just as bad!"

Wolfram turned around in Yuuri's arms and looked at him with a pitying expression. "You are too naïve, Yuuri. Shinou was the king. He could have as many affairs and lovers as he wanted. It was his right. Rufus, as both a low ranking member of his clan and as consort, didn't have those rights. His body was the property of Shinou. By laying with Yuli, he and Yuli were technically stealing from the king. They were committing high treason."

"That's not fair," Yuuri pressed.

Wait….

A sinking feeling came to Yuuri. If he and Wolfram were supposed to be Rufus and Shinou….then who was Yuli?

Yuuri pushed Wolfram out of his arms and stood back to glare at him accusingly. Wolfram looked hurt for an instant but his face went stony.

"Who the hell is Yuli?" Yuuri asked angrily, thinking that this was some bizarre confession. "What the hell are you getting at, Wolfram?"

To Yuuri's complete surprise, Wolfram choked up and refused to look Yuuri in the eye.

"Yuli was everything to Rufus," Wolfram said, voice strained. "But because he was a filthy dark half-breed, he received the worst punishment. They placed him in a brazen bull and forced Rufus to watch as they slowly burned him to death." Wolfram shuddered. "Anyone present could hear Yuli screaming through the hollow horns of the bull. Rufus begged and pleaded with them. Only his sobs and curses were able drown out Yuli's dying shrieks."

Wolfram finally looked up at Yuuri, who only stood in confused apprehension. "But they weren't done. They had rid the world of the dark half-breed, but there was still the honor of the Bielefeld clan to be restored. There was only one way the purist Bielefelds thought suitable to restore honor with the king."

Wolfram stepped up to Yuuri. He took Yuuri's limp hand into his own and stared at it as he finished his tale. Yuuri only stared as his instincts told him he needed to leave and find help now.

"They took Rufus back to the cave he had once called home, where he and Yuli had spent hours in each other's arms. They broke Rufus' legs and arms. They beat him with whips and iron bars until he was within an inch of his own life. When he screamed for mercy, they cut out his tongue to silence him. He didn't deserve mercy in their eyes. He didn't deserve a quick death. When he was nothing more than a bloody pile they dug a pit inside the cave and threw him in there. They buried him, not even bothering to see if he was really dead yet. They left him there to rot, surrounded by his and Yuli's belongings that made their home. The last words he sputtered were his lover's name and a promise to join him again in the afterlife."

Wolfram was openly weeping now. Yuuri watched in silent shock as tears streamed down Wolfram's face. Yuuri subconsciously began to slowly back away. Wolfram vainly wiped his face and watched Yuuri recoil from him.

"Why are you leaving?" Yuuri might have been swayed by Wolfram's pitiful gaze if he wasn't so convinced that his fiancé was clearly suffering from some kind of psychological breakdown.

"Wolfram," Yuuri spoke carefully as if addressing a rabid animal. "I think you need to see Gisela. This isn't like you at all. This isn't some untold story. It can't be real."

Wolfram was utterly shocked. The look of betrayal and heartbreak on his face was almost too much for Yuuri. "You don't believe me!"

Yuuri tried to calm the other man. "No, that's not it. I just think you're having some kind of trouble and we need to go back to our room and maybe call a doctor to give you something to calm down."

This only made Wolfram angrier. He slapped away the hand Yuuri had offered to comfort him. "Stupid boy! Stupid, wimpy boy! Did I really mean so little to you!? You didn't mean it at all when you said you loved me!"

If Yuuri was confused before, he was completely lost now. "Wolfram, what the hell is wrong with you?!" 

"You don't remember me!" Wolfram cried hysterically, lunging forward to shake Yuuri. "I came back for you! Remember me, damn you!"

Yuuri opened his mouth to shout for help, but his mouth was suddenly enveloped by Wolfram's angry, frantic kiss. The demon possessed an unnatural strength, as he was able to pin the hapless king to a nearby wall.

It came so forcefully that Yuuri gasped into Wolfram's unyielding mouth. Powerful wave after wave of emotion and memory surged through his psyche. Memories that weren't his – or he thought weren't his – flashed across his vision as his previous life made itself known to him.

He remembered escaping into the woods after some thugs attacked his family's small hut in the woods. He recalled having rocks thrown at him and hunting dogs biting at his feet as he tried to escape into the woods of Bielefeld. He hid in the cave to escape his assailants, though his injuries were so severe that he wouldn't live more than a few days without help. Forest green eyes. Dark blonde hair. A concerned voice asking him if he was all right. Gentle hands touched him with whispered words of kindness. A sweet kiss that promised to ease the pain. More stolen kisses, and entwined bodies. Screaming. Yelling. Burning flesh. Sobbing….Rufus.

"Rufus?" Yuuri managed to gasp against Wolfram's desperate kiss. The other man immediately pulled back.

"Yuli?" Wolfram breathed, daring to hope.

It was impossible. "How…..how did you find me?"

"I found a way," Wolfram smiled as he rained kisses on Yuuri's face. "Nothing could ever keep me from you."

"This whole time? You were by my side for the past two years and said nothing?" Yuuri was amazed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know how badly you were affected," Wolfram explained sadly. "I knew it was you the minute Weller brought you to the castle. But I could tell you didn't know who I was. I didn't mean anything to you."

"I'm sorry…" Yuuri whispered against Wolfram's forehead. "I'm so sorry."

Wolfram smiled despite his tears. "I thought the fates had cursed me to watch you give you affection to everyone while I was left with nothing."

"I didn't mean it!" Yuli said quickly. "I didn't know! How were you able to live like this for so long?"

"I hid myself from everyone," Rufus explained. "I just assumed a new identity and tricked people into thinking I was Wolfram von Bielefeld. I lived amongst them while I waited for you to be reborn. I had no idea you were reborn in an entirely different universe."

"I didn't remember," Yuli said in guilt. "I can't tell you how awful I feel!"

Rufus smiled and gave Yuli a comforting kiss. "But your soul did. Your body did. Over time, I could tell you were falling in love with me again, though you resisted at first. So brainwashed you were by your upbringing. It hurt, to have you so close, but unable to touch you the way I wanted. I had no choice but to bide my time and hope that fate would show pity on me."

"I'm sorry," Yuli said again, pulling Rufus into a strong hug. "Please forgive me. I never meant any of it." 

"I know," Rufus said, returning the embrace. "I know, but it doesn't matter anymore. You came back to me, even if you didn't know why. We're together now."

"But something still doesn't make sense," Yuli said, lifting Rufus' chin to look into the deep green eyes he had missed for so many years. "You said they buried you in the cave. How did you escape? You mean to tell me that you've survived thousands of years under a false name? How, Rufus?"

Rufus just smiled. "So naïve. Always so naïve. But that's why I love you so much…"

"Rufus?" Something didn't feel right.

"They left me to rot…."

When Yuli pulled back to look at his lover in confusion, he had to bite back a scream as Rufus' body decayed right in front of him. Rufus' pale pink skin turned greenish white. His cheeks became sunken. His body became emaciated until his clothes hung from him like drapes. The smell of blood, dirt, and moldy cloth hung heavily around him. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Yuli was repulsed by the purplish black gums and yellowed teeth.

"You didn't listen," Rufus' ghoul slurred, struggling to speak without a tongue. "They never checked to see if I was dead yet. _They buried me alive."_

A chilling wind picked up, blowing bits of flesh and cloth from Rufus' body. Yuli noticed a flick out of the corner of his eye. He dared to look away towards the tree line. He saw a little path leading into the woods and the faint outline of a blond young man beckoning him to come down and join him in the woods they once called home.

"Rufus, how are you doing this?" Yuli asked as he looked back at Rufus, but there was no one there. Only a pile of fine, rich clothing worn to the ball lay at his feet. The only evidence that Rufus was ever there.

" _Remember me, Yuli. Never forget me…"_

Yuli suddenly felt dizzy. The ground tilted up until he slid back and fell to his knees. He felt nauseous as the sounds of music and laughter mixed with the tortured screams of his past melded together to blur the line between dream and reality. He couldn't take it. He fainted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * WB * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yuuri scared himself awake. He was safe in his bed in his room or rather, the guest room. He was still at Bielefeld.

Yuuri sat up and immediately regretted it. He groaned from the wave of dizziness and immediate headache. His mind was a useless blur as he tried to remember what happened last night.

Rubbing his face to dissolve the blurriness of his mind, Yuuri sluggishly looked around his room. His belongings and luggage were where he had left them, untouched since yesterday. The drapes softly billowed in the morning breeze from the open windows. Everything was as it should be.

Rufus… _Wolfram!_

It all came back to him at once. Yuuri searched the room in a panic for the other man, but saw no sign of him. Yuuri got out of bed, ignoring his migraine to search for Wolfram and demand answers.

When he got up, he noticed that he was missing two suitcases. He clearly recalled only packing two suitcases for himself when they left for Bielefeld. There were two more that had Wolfram's belongings and he knew he had the maids bring them to this room.

Maybe Wolfram was in another room. Maybe they had a fight at the ball and Wolfram moved to another bedroom. Yes, that made sense.

Yuuri jumped when someone knocked at his door. Thinking it was Wolfram, he yanked the door open to reveal a surprised Conrad.

"Good morning, Yuuri," Conrad said hesitantly, apparently concerned for Yuuri's shaken appearance. "I've come to see if you wanted breakfast."

"Where is Wolfram?" Yuuri demanded, not even hearing Conrad's greeting.

Conrad's expression went blank. "I'm sorry?" 

"Wolfram. Where is Wolfram?" Yuuri asked again, a little louder. "I haven't seen him since last night. I think something is wrong with him."

Conrad expression was unreadable…alarmed. "Who is Wolfram, Yuuri?" 

Yuuri was dumbfounded. "You know, Wolfram? Your little brother? My fiancé?"

"How do you know that?" Conrad whispered, his face was white as he stared at Yuuri in shock.

"Know what?" Yuuri was genuinely scared now.

"How do you know I had a little brother named Wolfram?" Conrad asked harshly.

Had?

"But- but you always had a brother named Wolfram von Bielefeld!" Yuuri sputtered and stammered on. "He's Cheri's third son from her marriage to Wolfgang von Bielefeld. They married during the last war before I became king. He came with us on this trip! He was with me in the carriage!"

When all he got was a frightened stare, Yuuri made one last attempt. "He did the fire dance thing last night at the ball!"

"Yuuri," Conrad said slowly, clearly disturbed. "I _had_ a little brother named Wolfram, who was born to my mother and her third husband, Wolfgang von Bielefeld…..But no one told you that. There's no way you could know that."

Yuuri's mind went blank. "W-what?"

Conrad was shaking his head in disbelief. "He died in infancy. He was a stillbirth…"

* * * * * * * * * * * * WB * * * * * * * * * * * *

Everyone loves a good ghost story.

This was a plot bug buzzing in my head for several days now. I was inspired by the lotr slash fic, The Cave in the Echoriath. I strongly recommend you read it as it is really well done. I had to do my own version as the plot concept fit perfectly with KKM and the history of Shin Makoku. Although I think the author for that fic did a better job with the creepiness factor.

It also fit perfectly with the character of Rufus von Bielefeld. So little is known about him in the canon. So little in fact that I still see debates on whether or not he's male or female. For the longest I thought he was female, until I came across a wiki for KKM that confirmed he is indeed male. This also gave me an idea for a little historical conspiracy.

I wrote this very quickly. Don't know if I want to make it a multi-chapter fic. I think it works best as a one-shot for now.

Hope you all enjoyed this and I welcome your reviews and comments!

With love, EB


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